


Love and Potions - Severus Snape x OC

by Castiels_Trenchcoat6



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:14:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29319219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Castiels_Trenchcoat6/pseuds/Castiels_Trenchcoat6
Summary: Rowan Knight fell in love with Hogwarts when she was forced to transfer in her sixth year. She quickly developed feelings for a certain potions professor, but she knew that she could never act on them while she was a student. What happens when a job as Snape's assistant opens up and she impulsively accepts the offer right after leaving Hogwarts?-A/N: For my sanity, Voldemort is dead completely in this book. Also, in this book Blaise Zabini is a year older than the Harry Potter crew.-The only characters I own are my OC's, the rights to the rest of the characters lie with J.K. Rowling.-~Highest Ranks and Dates~ (On wattpad)#3 in Severussnape - 12/29/20#123 in hp - 1/7/21#5 in snapexoc - 1/10/21#7 in snape 2/07/21
Relationships: Severus Snape & Original Female Character(s)





	1. Prologue

To many, Hogwarts was just a school that taught young witches and wizards everything they needed to know about the wizarding world. For Rowan Knight, it was home. After all, it was here that she would meet one of her best friends, Juniper Montgomery. Juniper had been a first-year when Rowan was entering. Juniper and Rowan became inseparable during her years at Hogwarts. Even after Rowan had left Hogwarts, Juniper would sneak her in so that they could cause their usual mischief.

Rowan was transferred to Hogwarts in her sixth year at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after a certain incident left her father absent. Her mother had attended Hogwarts in her youth, so it only made sense that Rowan would transfer to finish her studies while her mother returned back to work for the ministry. 

Whenever she had first arrived, she had to meet with the professors and the headmaster to be sorted into her own house. Back in Ilvermorny, she had been sorted into Thunderbird. Though she wasn't quite sure which house was the equivalent here, she had hoped she would be in one where she would be accepted.

Entering the headmaster's office, she was immediately greeted by mostly smiling faces. One man with dark hair stood out to her, his face almost as dark as the cloak he wore. Rowan immediately felt intimidated as his eyes bore into her soul. His chiseled features made Rowan's heart skip a beat.

"Ah, Rowan. Come in, sit!" The headmaster, whom she knew to be Albus Dumbledore, smiled and waved her inside. Rowan smiled at what she assumed to be the professors who stood beside a fiery bird, before taking a seat in front of Dumbledore's large desk. "Sherbet lemon?" Dumbledore offered, holding out a glass bowl full of round yellow candies to Rowan. She politely declined, she was far too excited about what house she would be sorted into. "Very well, we will get right to the sorting! Minerva, if you will," Dumbledore motioned for a severe-looking, tall woman to grab a shabby looking hat. "Hi, dear. I'm Professor McGonagall," She said shortly before placing the brown hat atop Rowan's head.

The hat instantly roared to life and began to talk. This was nothing like the sorting at Ilvermorny. "Ah, strange...strange indeed. Where to put you, young child. Your mind seems to be twisted in many different paths. You have courage, but that is not all I see. Plenty of intelligence and a strong sense of loyalty. Ah, but you own a strong thirst for power. You wish for a way to prove yourself. Fine then, better be..." The room stayed on edge as the hat stalled, thinking over its thoughts. Minutes had passed before the hat roared a final word. "Slytherin!"

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Rowan had since put on her green robes and taken a seat in the great hall at her house's table. Rowan could hear various conversations begin around her, but she tried not to pay any attention to it. "Who is the new kid? No, you git. The one with brown hair," One girl began to speak to the boy next to her. "I've got no clue, haven't seen her 'round,'' The boy replied, before reaching across and tapping Rowan on the shoulder. "Aye, are you new here?" Rowan finally turned to face the boy who looked to be a few years younger than herself. Before she could speak, his eyes went wide. "Woah, she's hot!" He exclaimed and received a firm wack on the shoulder from his friend. "I'm sorry about him, he has no manners. I'm Millicent Bulstrode, and this is Blaise Zabini," She smiled apologetically and Rowan chuckled in response. "It's alright. I'm Rowan Knight. I'm a transfer," Rowan explained, and her eyes met Blaise's. It seemed as if he was still taking in her looks.

Rowan didn't mind, she would only be here for a while longer and it seemed as though they were second-years. Zabini was way too young for her tastes, but she didn't have the heart to break his. She pushed her brown hair out of her face to reveal piercing gray eyes. Zabini smirked and held out his hand. Rowan shook it and was about to ask about Hogwarts since she only knew as much as her mother had told her before she was interrupted by the woman she knew as Professor McGonagall.

"That's right, line up right here!" McGonagall spoke to the incoming first-years. Rowan smiled at them and wished that she had come here originally. Hogwarts was already much more exciting than Ilvermorny, but she did have to admit she missed her father. She watched as they were sorted into their respective houses when one girl caught her eye. She had long, black hair and had freckles all around her face. Rowan didn't know why she noticed this girl, but she could tell the girl seemed terrified. Blaise tapped her on the shoulder, tearing her attention away from the scared first-year. "Yes, Zabini?" Rowan replied, keeping her eyes on the shivering girl who seemed to be next in line. "You've got a fan," He chuckled and nodded toward the professor's table. Rowan followed his eyes and was shocked to find the dark-haired professor staring at her once more. "Who is he?" Rowan asked as she looked at Millicent, hoping she would answer instead. "That is Professor Snape, and you do not want to mess with him. He is our head of house, but he's also really mean. Don't test him," Millicent answered and Rowan nodded and returned her eyes to the sorting. She could still feel his eyes on her.

"Juniper Montgomery!" McGonagall read and the young girl Rowan had noticed earlier jumped and began to walk up the stairs. The hat was placed on her head and she looked as if she would burst into tears. "Ah, this one is easy. Slytherin!" The girl burst into tears as she rushed down to the table and sat far away from everyone else. "What's her problem?" Blaise said, scoffing at her reaction. Rowan, however, did not reply. Instead, she stood up and walked down and sat down beside the girl. "Hey, are you okay?" Rowan asked and Juniper's watery eyes shot up. "No, I am not okay! I'm sorted into Slytherin, do you know what that means?" She squealed, more tears threatening to leave her eyes at any moment. Rowan sighed and shook her head. "Not really, I'm a transfer. I don't know much about anything here," Rowan smiled half-heartedly. "Well, it means we're bad! All these Slytherins care about are your success and your blood status. I was hoping to be a Ravenclaw," Juniper explained and Rowan nodded, taking in this new information.

"We aren't all bad," Rowan said with a smile as she pointed over to Millicent and Blaise. Blaise just stared while Millicent waved kindly. "I just met them. That's Millicent Bulstrode and Blaise Zabini, and I'm Rowan Knight. They seem alright as far as I can tell. Why don't you come over and sit with us?" Rowan offered and the sniffling girl nodded in response. When Rowan looked back at the professor's table, she saw Dumbledore smiling brightly at her and she could swear that she even saw Snape smirk a little.

"Welcome to Slytherin!" Millicent said as a greeting to Juniper. Juniper just nodded in response and sat in between Blaise and Rowan. "She was just worried about trivial things. Blood status and all," Rowan explained and Millicent almost broke out in laughter. "It's alright whatever status you are, at least with us. I'm a half-blood myself," Millicent explained and Blaise nodded in agreement. "I'm pureblood but all that means is that my parents are pretentious," Blaise scoffed and returned to watch the remaining children be sorted into their houses. "What about you Rowan?" Juniper asked, her tears beginning to dry. "I'm a half-blood, but I already know my mom is going to be angry that I'm in Slytherin," Rowan sighed as she thought back to what her mother had said.

Don't bother coming home if you're a Slytherin. You should be in Ravenclaw, as I was!

"Don't worry about her," Juniper began with newfound confidence. "I'm a half-blood too, and my dad was a Slytherin. I was just hoping I wouldn't be like him," Juniper sighed. After a quick word about the forbidden forest and something about the third floor, the headmaster encouraged them to feast. With her new friends, Rowan laughed all the way through the feast. Though, she could feel his eyes on her the whole time.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

After the feast, they all retired to their dorms. Rowan was pleased to know that the Slytherin dorms were down in the dungeons, someplace dark and cold. She was also pleased that she shared a room with Millicent and Juniper. The girls all quickly unpacked, Rowan by magic and the others by hand. "You're pretty good at that. Where do you go to school before?" Juniper asked as she slid various pairs of robes into a drawer. "I went to Ilvermorny in America. It's where my dad is from," Rowan explained as the last of her clothes slid into the drawer beside her bed. "I've heard they use statues to sort you guys out. How was that?" Millicent asked as she flopped down on the bed closest to the door. "Fairly quick, it definitely took less time than that hat!" Rowan laughed but Millicent's eyes widened. "How long did yours take?" Juniper asked when Millicent didn't respond. "A few minutes, five or so. It had trouble," Rowan answered as she sat down on the furthest bed.

"You mean to tell me you're a hatstall?" Millicent finally asked when she picked her jaw up off the floor. "What's a hatstall?" Rowan asked innocently as she practiced levitating a small necklace above her nightstand. "WHAT'S A- Rowan Knight, hatstalls are extremely rare. It's when they confuse the sorting hat!" Millicent exclaimed, jumping on top of Rowan's bed. Juniper followed and soon they were all sitting on Rowan's small twin bed.

"Here is the real question, Rowan. You're the oldest, have you decided what you would like to be when you leave Hogwarts?" Millicent inquired, leaning her head against Rowan's shoulder. "Well, back at Ilvermorny I wanted to be a potions professor-" Rowan was cut off by a small gasp from Millicent. "Good luck, Snape will never leave." She said with a small laugh.

"Perhaps I won't either," Rowan smiled mischievously. "Oh no, Rowan what did I say! Don't mess with the dungeon bat!" Millicent exclaimed, referring to Professor Snape. "Dungeon bat?" Juniper asked, but she was swiftly ignored. Rowan was cooking up a plan to stay at Hogwarts, even if that meant she would have to run that mysteriously handsome professor out.


	2. Chapter 1 - Assistant Professor

It had only been a few months since the end of Rowan's seventh year when she was requested to meet with Dumbledore. A million thoughts rushed through her head when she had received the letter from her old headmaster. She began to wonder if Millicent had gotten angry that Rowan hadn't been able to stay. After all, Millicent was in her fourth year now. Or maybe Juniper really had hexed Snape like she said she would. Juniper was now in her third year. Rowan shook her head from those thoughts. There was no way it had anything to do with her best friends, school hadn't started yet. There were still two days until the students were due for arrival.

Anxiously, Rowan entered Dumbledore's office, ready to take full responsibility for her friend's actions. She whispered, "Sherbet lemon," and gained access to the headmaster's office. "Rowan, thank you for coming so quickly. Have a seat,' Dumbledore said as she strode over to his desk and sat down opposite of Rowan. "I'm sure you have some idea of why I asked for your presence," Dumbledore said as he peered over his half-circle glasses. "I'm sorry, headmaster. I'm afraid I don't," Rowan shifted in her seat, trying to find some comfort in this situation. "Surely you have heard about the job opening here at Hogwarts. Severus has requested an assistant,"

Rowan's heart leaped at her old potion professor's name. Composing herself, she shook her head. She truly hadn't seen an opening in the papers, not that she had been paying much attention to the news anyway. Ever since her mother kicked her out once she returned from Hogwarts in her sixth year, she hadn't been able to keep steady housing until Blaise had offered her to stay with him. She had been staying with the Zabini's for well over a year. The Zabini's hadn't been keeping up with the news either, as Blaise's mother had been working on planning her seventh wedding. "I suppose Severus hasn't had time to owl you a letter," Dumbledore shook his head disappointedly, but Rowan's confusion only grew. "Headmaster, excuse my ignorance, but why would he have sent me a letter?"

Dumbledore let out a small chuckle before silently offering Rowan a lemon drop, which she declined. Unwrapping the small candy, Dumbledore popped in his mouth and answered Rowan's question. "I should have known Severus would be too proud to tell you. He asked for you by name, Miss Knight." Rowan's cheeks immediately flushed red and while she tried to hide it, Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "You were always one of his favorite students. If you choose to accept, I will need you here tomorrow morning. I know it is short notice, but as you know, there is minimal time before students are welcomed back to Hogwarts," Dumbledore added as he began to unwrap another lemon drop.

"I would be honored to take this position, Headmaster. I just need to return home and gather my things. I could be back tonight if that is alright," Rowan answered excitedly. She was most excited to see her friends daily again, but a part of her was excited that her favorite teacher had been thinking of her. "That will be just fine, Miss Knight. Though, I must warn you, your quarters are right beside Professor Snape's. I hope that will be alright," The way Dumbledore had phrased it seemed like he already knew what her answer would be. "That's just fine, headmaster," Rowan began, but she realized she would not make the next train back to the Zabini Manor in time to collect her things. "I have to go!" Rowan stood up in a frenzy.

"Miss Knight," Dumbledore said, sliding a small cup of floo powder over to her. "Oh, heh. I forgot about that," Rowan said as she took a small pinch of floo powder and mumbled the words Zabini Manor clear as day. With a gust of green flames, she was back at her home.

Back at Hogwarts, however, a certain professor stood just outside the door to the Headmaster's office. "Severus, you do know you are welcome anytime," Dumbledore called and Professor Snape jumped in surprise. "I am aware. Thank you, Headmaster," Severus said as he took a seat where his new assistant had just been. "You heard the news, I suppose. Miss Knight will be joining our staff this year as your assistant," Dumbledore said, not looking up from the papers on his desk. Severus did his best to cover a smile with a scowl, though he knew he could never trick Dumbledore. "You know, Severus. I told you when you came to me that you should ask her yourself," Dumbledore said as he scribbled down something with his quill. "Yes, I know, sir. I didn't want her getting the wrong idea-"

Before Severus could finish his thoughts, Dumbledore interrupted him. "What wrong idea would that be Severus? I see it in your eyes, and I have seen it since she arrived. I am simply waiting on you to accept your feelings for what they are," Severus stiffened at his words. Had it truly been that obvious? "I am sure I don't know what you mean, sir. I must go and begin to prepare for the students," Severus quickly stood up and quickly went to exit the office.

"Severus, are you sure you're preparing for the students or it is just a particular former student?" Dumbledore asked with a sly smile. Severus ignored him and quickly sped down to his chambers. She would be here tomorrow, and his classroom was disgusting. He had to get to cleaning- Not for her of course.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Meanwhile, in the Zabini Manor, Blaise was throwing a massive amount of questions at Rowan.

"What do you mean you're the new assistant potions professor?"

"Do I have to call you Professor Knight?"

"Can you make me head boy?"

"Do you think Snape has a crush on you?"

That last question made a scrambling Rowan to stand still. "Blaise, do you ever shut up?" Rowan asked with an eye roll as she collected some of her clothes and placed them in her trunk. "Only when you make me, baby," Blaise said smoothly and received a hard slap on his arm. Rowan rolled her eyes at his flirtatious joke. Blaise had gained a reputation for being a player, but Rowan knew anything he said to her or to Millicent was nothing but a joke. "No, seriously Rowan. I know you've had feelings for him ever since you saw him staring when everyone was getting sorted," Blaise said as he started to help Rowan pack her clothes.

"My feelings for Professor Snape are...complicated. I'm sure he only asked for me because I was at the top of the class," Rowan said and Blaise began to giggle. When she looked at him, he was holding her favorite pair of black lacy underwear. "Shut up, Zabini. I will give you detention with Professor Snape," Rowan said as she snatched them out of his hands and hesitantly packed them. "Watch it, Professor Knight. I'm sure the only person who wants detention with the dungeon bat is you," Blaise teased as he used a spell to shrink down the first trunk.

"He isn't a dungeon bat, Blaise. Anyway, don't you have somewhere else to be? Maybe you can go and bother one of your sisters?" Rowan offered as she opened up a new trunk and began to put some of her picture frames in it. "I'm bothering you right now, why should I stop? Plus Draco and Pansy are busy packing for Hogwarts," Blaise said, taking a picture of their small group of friends off of Rowan's shelf and placing it carefully with the others. "Shouldn't you be packing?" Rowan rolled her eyes and laughed quietly. "You know I'm already packing, baby," Blaise joked with a wink. "You're vile, you know that?" Rowan said, throwing a green shirt into his chest. "You love me," Blaise retorted as he neatly folded the shirt and placed it into the trunk.

After two hours and three trunks filled with various belongings, the pair had finished packing Rowan's things. Her room now looked bare as she and Blaise sat at the end of her bed.

"Are you sure you have to leave tonight? It's pretty late," Blaise said with a frown. "You're right. I'll just leave first thing in the morning," Rowan agreed as she yawned. "Are you sure about all of this? I mean- I know Millicent and especially Juniper have missed you but you didn't have to become a professor," Blaise asked, his voice was the most caring Rowan had ever heard it. "I'm sure. Ever since my mom kicked me out, Hogwarts and the manor have been my home. Now, I won't have to rely on your family for everything," Rowan replied with a small frown. She had just now realized that he had been relying heavily on the Zabini's, who already had a fairly large family.

"Nonsense, Rowan. My mom sees you as a Zabini, she loves you," Blaise began and a small smile rose to his face. "I hope you know this doesn't mean you get to miss my mother's newest wedding," He said, laying down on her bed. Rowan joined him, placing her head on his shoulder. "I wouldn't miss it for the world," Rowan replied and they both began to chuckle.

"Hey, maybe you can bring Snape as your plus one. You know, whenever he becomes your boyfriend and all," Blaise laughs as he prepares for what he assumed would be a rather hard slap from Rowan. However, Rowan seemed to be lost in her thoughts. "Hey, it'll be alright. I'll make sure Malfoy doesn't give you a hard time," Blaise said as he rubbed Rowan's shoulder lovingly. "That's not what I'm worried about. What if he doesn't feel the same way I do?" Rowan said, tears threatening to leave her eyes.

"Is this you admitting you have a crush on the potions professor, Rowan?" Blaise asked teasingly. "Yeah, I suppose it is Zabini," Rowan paused, before speaking again. "You tell him and I will personally break your wand," Rowan hissed, narrowing her eyes menacingly. "Which wand are we talking? 'Cause if you're talking about-"

"Zabini!" Rowan exclaimed and pushed him off of her bed and onto the floor. "I get it, you only want Snape's wand," Zabini laughed and began to run out of Rowan's bedroom. "Get back here, Zabini!" Rowan exclaimed as she quickly ran after Blaise.

The chase lasted for half an hour until they both ended up on the floor of Rowan's room, exhausted and out of breath. "Do you think he likes me, Blaise?" Rowan asked between heavy breaths. "Any man would be crazy not to, Knight. Now, are we going to lay here all night or do you wanna watch a movie?" Blaise answered, standing up and holding out a hand for Rowan to grab. She took his hand and Blaise took this opportunity to make one last joke. "You know, he might not like you because you're as short as a house-elf," He laughed, patting her head.

"I will hex you Zabini," Rowan said with a smile as she hopped down the stairs toward the living room. Blaise couldn't help but smile as he watched her, he did have to admit he loved her. Though she loved someone else, he was okay with that as long as she was happy. If Snape ever dared to ruin this side of her, Blaise knew it would be him who killed the potions professor.


	3. Chapter 2 - Moving In

Rowan awoke earlier than usual, around two in the morning. She had noticed that both she and Blaise had fallen asleep while watching a movie they had picked out. With a small smile, she carefully got up so she didn't awake Blaise. Slowly, she went up to her room and shrank the two trunks that Blaise didn't the night before. She placed them into a small, green book bag and took one last look at her room. She hadn't planned on leaving this early, or without saying goodbye to the Zabini family, but she knew that saying goodbye to the family would be harder than leaving in the middle of the night. Especially Blaise's mom.

Just as she was about to leave, she was met with two pairs of small eyes. "Where are you going, Rowan?" Lacey and Sable Zabini were Blaise's youngest sisters, and they were twins. They were only nine-years-old but pulled pranks just like the Weasley twins. Rowan knew that when their time at Hogwarts was to come, she wanted to be there to see it. "I have to leave for Hogwarts. You two should be in bed," Rowan said softly and ushered them back into their shared room. "Will you tuck us in, then?" Lacey asked with a tired smile. "Of course, quickly though," Rowan said, and quickly tucked the twins into their respective beds. "Will you be back for Christmas?" Sable asked with sad eyes. "I will try my hardest to be here. Now, sleep. Both of you," Rowan said, placing quick kisses on both of their foreheads.

As she was walking toward the steps, she heard a small bump. She turned around and was met with Aida Zabini, Blaise's mom. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to scare you, I was just making sure you got to bed-" Aida began, before noticing the bookbag Rowan had slung over her back. "You're leaving so soon? Why?" Aida moved over to Rowan and grabbed her into a strong hug. Rowan felt tears rise to her eyes and fall down her cheek. "I'm sorry, I was going to tell you," Rowan began and Aida began to wipe her tears away. "Tell me what, honey?" Aida asked and more tears fell from Rowan's face.

"I got a job at Hogwarts. I'm an assistant professor," Rowan said, more tears falling more than ever. "That's wonderful, Rowan. Why are you crying?" Aida asked as she guided Rowan onto the stairs so that they could sit down. "There's this guy, Ms.Zabini. I like him, I really do. I have for a while now, but I'm sure he won't find me as anything more than a friend. Maybe not even a friend," Rowan was crying openly now, everything he had felt since she met Professor Snape was coming out. "Oh, Rowan. Why wouldn't he like you?" Aida grabbed Rowan's head and brought it to her chest so that she could pat her hair soothingly. "Look at me. What is there to like? My own mother didn't even want me," Rowan sobbed into Aida's chest and Aida shook her head.

"I told you before, your birth mother may have raised you but you are one of my daughters. I've never heard of such a silly thing, hating your own child for being in a different house than your own," Aida sighed in disappointment for what Rowan's birth mother had done. "Rowan, if it is meant to be with this guy you like, then it will be. He will love you for what you are," Aida said, kissing Rowan on the cheek. Rowan raised to her feet and Aida did the same. "I'll tell the kids you said goodbye. Though, you might want to wake Blaise and tell him yourself. You know the temper that boy has," Aida laughed quietly and returned to her room.

Aida was right, Rowan thought to herself. Quietly walking down the steps, Rowan walked over and sat down beside a sleeping Blaise. "Zabini, wake up," Rowan whispered and shook his shoulders. His eyes fluttered awake as he sat up, groggily staring at Rowan. "It's time. I've got to floo to Hogwarts," Rowan said with a half-hearted smile. "It's still late, do you know where you'll floo to?" Blaise asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Probably to Dumbledore's office. I'll sneak off to the dungeons and go into the room beside Snape's office. He said that's where my office and quarters will be," Rowan explained with a sigh. "Well, I'll see you in a few days, Rowan. Behave," He teased with his usual sly smirk. "It amazes me how you can be perverted when you're half asleep," Rowan laughed and gave Blaise a quick hug. "It's a skill, Rowan. Learn it, live it, love it!" Blaise exclaimed quietly before picking up the blanket they had been using and starting up the stairs to his room. Rowan reached into her bag and pulled out a box of floo powder. With a small pinch, she was off to Hogwarts.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Rowan fell, not so gracefully, to the floor of Dumbledore's office. She quickly stood up and brushed herself off. "Well, Good evening Miss Knight. Having trouble sleeping?" The voice startled Rowan until she looked up and found Dumbledore reading at his desk. "I'm sorry, Headmaster. I didn't mean to interrupt your...reading?" Rowan said in a confused tone. "Not to worry, Rowan. This book will always be here for another time," Dumbledore smiled and began walking to the door. This only confused Rowan more, as she stood still. "Well, are you going to let me show you to your office, Professor Knight?" Dumbledore smiled at the last words, he always knew he would be able to see a student grow from a child to an adult. He just didn't know it would be this soon.

"Oh! That would be great. Thank you," Rowan said and began to follow Dumbledore down to the dungeons. "Miss Knight, excuse me for asking such an intrusive question, but have you been crying?" Dumbledore asked softly as the cool air from the dungeons became apparent. "Heh, is it that noticeable?" Rowan asked as she pulled her brown hair in front of one of her eyes in an attempt to hide. "No, I am just an old man who has seen all kinds of grief," Dumbledore replied with a small smile. "I have, but it's really nothing. Just a childish crush," Rowan said and immediately covered her mouth, knowing she had said too much. Dumbledore only chuckled in response. "I have a strange feeling that it is not childish, nor just a simple crush," Dumbledore stopped at a wooden door and Rowan recognized it to be the door beside Professor Snape's office. "Thank you for showing me my office, Headmaster. And thank you for the crush advice," Rowan chuckled and opened the door to her room.

"One more thing, Miss Knight," Dumbledore said as he grabbed the handle to her door. Rowan raised her eyebrows and turned her attention to her Headmaster. "I'm sure this, crush, of yours has potential," Dumbeldore said with a wink and closed the door behind him. What does that mean? He couldn't possibly know- Rowan's thoughts were running at the speed of sound. That old man would be the death of her, she just knew it. Shaking her head, she took her trunks out of her bag and returned them to their natural size.

Dragging her trunks into the connected room that would have her sleeping and living quarters, she took a deep breath. Taking a look around the room, she felt unusually calm. Her bed had green sheets with a black comforter just like the one she had back at the manor. The light shed through her window as she had a view from underneath the lake. She looked at how the light shown onto a small desk in the corner of her room, almost romantically. She slowly sat down at the desk and began to write two letters. One to Mellicent, and one to Juniper. They would be angry if they show up and she is just magically Snape's assistant. With the light of the moon, she wrote everything that had happened. If only she had known the man in the room next to her was awake as well.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Severus was pacing the walls of his room. He had already cleaned both his classroom and his office. He had organized the potion ingredients twice, and now he was out of things to do. He thought of sleep but knew he couldn't. She would be here tomorrow, and he hadn't sorted out his feelings. Not that he had any that weren't professional.

Snape looked to the mantle over his fireplace and saw a very old picture. A thin layer of dust had settled on it. Wiping it off, he saw a young version of him and Lily Evans waving at the current version of himself. He smiled sadly. She was his first love and his first heartbreak. He didn't have feelings for Lily anymore, not as strong as he did back then. Though, there were times he wished he did. That would make the whole Rowan Knight situation easier. He could tell her that he was still in love with Lily and she would probably think he was strange and not take the job after all.

Though, that's not what he wanted. He had asked specifically for her, in hopes that one day she would be his co-professor. He was always impressed by her knowledge of potions, but that wasn't what he had noticed first. She had a spark about her, he noticed it when she first walked in the door to be sorted. He could have sworn that she would be a Gryffindor, with courage like that. Alas, she was a Slytherin, his own house. Then, at the feast, when she had comforted a disappointed student, Severus would have sworn that she should have been a Hufflepuff. With kindness like that, there was no way she could be a Slytherin. Though, he knew the old sorting hat never made mistakes. In his class, she would know all the right answers. She earned the majority of house points in her years as a student. He knew then she could have easily been a Ravenclaw. He was glad she was one of his own, yet he could not figure out why. Why was this girl in his house, when she was not cunning? She wasn't harsh and she surely wasn't dark.

These thoughts swam around his head as he slowly fell for her. At least, when he fell for her in a professional way. That was it, he loved her brain, not her. He loved the fact that she could help him get ahead and possibly be considered for a pay raise. Severus shook his head, he knew that wasn't true. He also knew that there was no way she would ever love him. A former death eater, a man who sold out his first love. He was a traitor, but he knew he couldn't say that in front of Albus. That man was always so forgiving, even when he didn't deserve it.

With a sigh, Severus slipped into the shower to take his mind off of things. The water washed down his scarred body as Severus held himself up with one hand. He sobbed quietly, his heart breaking before it had a chance to be loved. He would never let anyone see this side of him, only the walls of his shower. He swore to himself that would stay true. Tomorrow, he will talk to her as a professional. They would prepare classes and that was it. That was all it could be.


	4. Chapter 3 - Hello, Severus

After just a few hours of sleep, Rowan awoke to the sound of tapping on her office door. With an annoyed groan, she stepped out of bed and onto the cold floors of her bedroom. She gasped as she had to adjust to the cool air. Why can't we have central heating? Rowan thought to herself as she quickly threw a cloak over her barely covered body and opened the door to see what the tapping was.

Much to her surprise, there were two owls waiting at her door. One brown with grey specks surrounding its eyes, the other almost all black except for a small white spot on its belly. She recognized the black one to be Juniper's owl. They both held letters in their beak, which Rowan gladly accepted as she gave them each a pat on the head. She looked down and realized that they were from Millicent as well as Juniper, and that made Rowan tear them open excitedly. She decided that she would open Juniper's first since it seemed that the black owl that belonged to her had been waiting for quite some time.

Rowan,

What do you mean you're back at Hogwarts? What does all of this mean for you? For our friend group? Don't bother replying, I'll visit you first thing after the sorting tomorrow. You have to explain everything! Also, have you heard from Blaise? He hasn't returned my letters... Nevermind that. See you soon!

Rowan smiled brightly as she read her best friend's excited letter, but that letter did bring up some good points. What was to happen to their friendship now that Rowan was part of the staff? Surely not much would have to change, she would treat them as she usually would. Next, Rowan opened Millicent's letter.

Rowan Lennox Knight,

I swear you should have been a Ravenclaw. You somehow got your way back into Hogwarts AND you work for the dungeon bat? You're brilliant! I can't wait to see how this all will unfold. Knight if you dare give me detention so help me I will put a curse on you and feel no remorse. On a separate note, did you hear that Lockhart will be returning to Hogwarts? Not to teach, of course. Instead, he is doing research! Hey, maybe he'll ask me to be his assistant? One can only dream. I'm sorry you got stuck with the old bat, but hey, maybe he won't be so bad? See you soon!

Rowan frowned at the negativity toward Professor Snape. She had only told Blaise of her feelings because he had gotten curious. Juniper had asked some questions, but Blaise covered for her. Millicent hadn't really noticed anything since Gilderoy Lockhart started teaching at Hogwarts last year. Maybe she wouldn't have to tell them at all? She would be professional with Professor Snape, and only Blaise and his mother would have to know.

Shaking her head, Rowan quickly went into her bathroom and changed into a pair of plain black robes. She took a pin labeled Slytherin and placed it on her collar. Just because she was no longer a student didn't make her any less of a Slytherin, at least not in her mind. With a smile plastered on her face, she exited her room and began to walk absentmindedly down the hall.

At first, her thoughts were filled with what the next years would have in store for her. Soon, they all became about the man she now worked for. She wondered if he would treat her as a student or as an equal. Perhaps he would show her some kindness now that she was no longer a student.

Just as she was about to make the turn to the Great Hall, she ran into something tall and solid. She fell flat on her back with a hard thump. Holding her head, she looked up and was horrified with the eyes that met hers.

"Miss Knight, I do have to ask that you keep your daydreaming for when you are alone," Professor Snape scowled as he brushed off his black cape. "I'm so sorry, Professor!" Rowan began as she started to pick herself up. Before she could, Professor Snape offered her a strong hand which she gladly took. Whenever she had stood up, they stayed like that. Hand in hand, eyes locked onto each other. Professor Snape was the first to break eye contact as he pulled his hand away as if he had been burned. 

"I was unaware you would be arriving so soon," He said, clearing his throat loudly. He seemed nervous, but Rowan didn't see why. "I told Dumbledore I would be here last night and I came in really late," Rowan explained, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Crazy old bat forgot to tell me that," Severus mumbled low enough that Rowan wouldn't hear him. "I'm sorry, Professor Snape, what was that?" Rowan asked, hoping it was nothing important. The man in front of her seemed to blush slightly "Please, call me Severus," He said quietly before turning around and walking quickly toward the dungeons.

Rowan stood, dazed and confused at what had just happened. "Hello, Severus," Rowan said quietly, grazing her fingertips on her other hand where his hand had been. With a gulp, Rowan entered the Great Hall and her nose was filled with the scent of a delicious breakfast. She joined the other professors at the staff table and sat in between an empty chair and McGonagall. "Good morning, Rowan," Dumbledore greeted her from the other side of Professor McGonagall. "Good morning, Headmaster," Rowan said dreamily, her thoughts still on Severus. Before Rowan stood a large breakfast but Rowan had seemed to lose her appetite for food and gain an appetite for another touch from the potions professor.

The room fell silent as the rest of the staff began to eat, and Rowan hadn't noticed when Severus had entered the hall and sat next to her. Her mind was filled with filthy thoughts of her and her new boss. She couldn't help but crave his touch. Even though it was just the touch of a hand, she knew she needed more. She knew that she could never act upon these thoughts, but whenever she was to get lonely at night, these would certainly help her. Severus cleared his throat loudly next to her and Rowan snapped back into reality. "Yes, Professor?" Rowan asked, trying her hardest to keep her thoughts innocent.

"I was just asking how you slept, Miss Knight. Though, it seems that your mind is elsewhere," Severus said with his same scowl that he wore day and night. "My apologies, Sever-" Rowan's words were cut short when the doors to the Great Hall burst open. "Hold your applause! I have returned once again!" A man with orange hair emerged and Rowan recognized him as Gilderoy Lockhart. She personally had never had a class with him, but she knew Millicent found him dreamy. Rowan rolled her eyes at his arrogance and picked up a single piece of toast.

"Gilderoy, grab a seat and have breakfast with us," Dumbledore offered and Lockhart seemed to beam at the thought that they wanted him there. A chair appeared in between McGonagall and Rowan, and Lockhart sat down with confidence. "It is great to be back, Headmaster," He began with his chest puffed out. Rowan turned to Severus who had a noticeable frown and was rolling his eyes at the new arrival. Rowan couldn't help but chuckle at Severus' response, which caught Lockhart's attention.

"Well, Hello there," He smirked and grabbed Rowan's hand as he brought it up and kissed it gently. "I don't believe we have met before. My name is Gilderoy Lockhart and-"

"She knows who you are, Lockhart," Severus said as he began to lean toward Rowan protectively. "I'm sure she can speak for herself, dear Severus. Now, what is your name?" Lockhart asked, earning a threatening stare from Severus. "I'm Rowan. Rowan Knight," She asked, inwardly rolling her eyes at the charm she knew Millicent fell for. She, however, simply wasn't attracted to this type of man. "Well, Rowan, what is it that you are teaching this year?" He asked with a purr in his voice. "I'm actually-"

"She is my assistant," Severus spoke in a growl as he stood up and began to walk away from the table. He looked back up to Rowan when she did not follow his lead. Instead, she was still engaged in a conversation with that good for nothing Lockhart. "Miss Knight, if you would please come with me so that we can get the classroom and plans ready for the students," He said with a glare toward Lockhart, who simply smiled and kept his eyes on Rowan's body. Disgusting rat, Severus thought. He knew that Lockhart could never see past Rowan's looks and into what actually made her interesting. Not that he found her interesting. "Rowan, I will stop by your office tonight so that we may get to know each other," Lockhart said as she ran after the potions professor.

The walk back down to the dungeons stayed silent as they were both engulfed in thought. Severus was worrying himself about how he had stormed off this morning after she had fallen. They had held hands and eye contact for so long that Severus had no choice but to walk away. He knew that she could never love him, and he hadn't had the heart to use his gift of legilimency on her. The first time he had ever dared to look into her mind was when she was in his class in her seventh year. He found nothing but many images of what seemed to be an abusive mother and an emotionally absent father. He couldn't bear to look into her head anymore, he feared what he would do. 

Meanwhile, Rowan was worried about what would happen next. She didn't want to meet with Professor Lockhart, especially not alone. Though she was never close to any of the professors at Hogwarts and she doubted that Severus would help her out with this problem. She would have to face it alone or ask him to stay with her. She would rather have to deal with neither of these. Perhaps she could just not let him in, and explain that she hadn't felt okay. That's what she would do, at least until she could meet with her best friends and discuss what had happened earlier. 

The pair arrived at the potions classroom and stepped inside. Severus was the first to speak, his dark voice booming in the quiet classroom. "I will be writing some lesson plans, you can organize the potions ingredients on the shelves," He said cooly and sat down at his desk. Rowan nodded and walked over to the familiar shelf. Memories of her years here flooded her mind and quickly turned into images of what she had wished had happened. Snape kissing her as he slowly shut the door. Snape bending her over his-

"Miss Knight," Severus interrupted her thoughts and when Rowan turned to meet him, his eyes had gone dark. "Yes, Professor Snape?" Rowan asked as she took a few jars off of the shelf and placed them on a nearby desk. "I told you that you could refer to me as Severus, as long as it is not in front of the dunderheads," Snape said with a stone-cold expression. "I'm sorry, it's just that I've gone so long calling you Professor. It'll take time, but I'm sure I'll get it," Rowan explained with a caring smile. "I have no doubt about your abilities, Miss Knight," He replied as he began to write down something with his quill. 

"If I can call you Severus, you can call me Rowan. It only seems fair," She offered as she took a seat on top of the desk she had been organizing on. "I suppose you do have a point, Rowan," The way her name rolled off of his tongue sent shivers down her spine. "What will be the first potion we teach them, Severus?" She said, her voice sounded much smaller in comparison to his. He stopped writing and placed his quill back in the ink well. He stood up and strode over to the other end of his desk, leaning his back against it. 

"I was thinking we could teach them about the draught of living death. Could you tell me what that requires, Rowan?" There he goes with my name again, she thought to herself before reciting what she had memorized back at Ilvermorny. "Draught of living death requires a tad of powdered root of asphodel that you add to an infusion of wormwood," Rowan said confidently and Severus seemed to crack a small smile. "That is correct. Ten points to...Rowan," Severus said with a smirk. "If you could give out points to individuals, I'm sure Malfoy and Granger would always be at the top," Rowan said absentmindedly with a small sigh. "I am sure that you underestimate yourself, Miss Knight. My bet would be your friend Montgomery," He said as his shoulders visibly relaxed. 

They talked like this for hours, and it was as if their bodies had a metallic attraction to one another. He was soon sitting right beside her on the table, his lesson plans completely abandoned. 

Rowan giggled at a joke Severus had made and for the first time in a long time, Severus laughed along. They made eye contact, and Severus reached up to her face and brushed a long strand of dark brown hair away from her eyes. Rowan blushed wildly as she smiled at her old potions professor as their faces were slowly closing the gap between them. Just as they were about to close the space between them, the door burst open. 

"Rowan! I have been looking everywhere for you!" Lockhart said as he walked over to the desk that Severus and she had been sitting at. He wedged himself in between the pair and pulled a parcel out from his overcoat. "Here is a present from me to you," He said and handed the parcel to Rowan. She opened it and found a signed copy of one of his many works, Magical Me: an Autobiography. "You don't have to thank me! I know you love it!" He exclaimed when Rowan stayed silent. Rowan nodded politely and Lockhart stood up, allowing Severus to slide back onto the table he had previously been knocked off of. 

"That'll be all, then. I am off to my sleeping quarters! I expect to see you at breakfast, Rowan?" Lockhart asked as he blew her a small kiss. "See you there, Gilderoy," She said unenthusiastically, and once again, she and Severus were left alone. 

Rowan began to chuckle. "I have no idea what to do with this," she said, holding up the gift she had just gotten. Severus said nothing and his eyes were on the floor. Before Rowan could speak again, he was off of the table and walking rather quickly out of the room. With a sigh, Rowan looked around at the potion ingredients she hadn't finished sorting. The first thing she noticed was that they seemed spotless, which was unusual for a classroom that hadn't been in use. The second thing she noticed was that they were already sorted how she remembered Snape liked them to be.

What was this man playing at?


	5. Chapter 4 - Legilimency

"Rowan Lennox Knight if you do not come and give us hugs right this instant!" Rowan heard a strong female voice say from behind her. She quickly turned around and ran over to her three best friends as they entered the Great Hall. Millicent quickly engulfed her into a huge hug, while Blaise settled for a quick one. They had just seen each other the other day, so this wasn't surprising. 

"Juniper, how about you?" Rowan asked with her arms open wide. Her youngest best friend's face blossomed with a large smile as she fell into her arms. "I was so upset that you weren't going to be here this year," Juniper said with a small sniffle. "It's all okay now, Juni! I'm here to stay," Rowan replied as she comforted her friend. 

Rowan's eyes noticed McGonagall walking in with the first years so she quickly said her goodbyes to her friends and took a seat beside Severus at the staff table. Unfortunately for her, Lockhart found himself sitting beside Rowan once again. 

The sorting this year was uneventful, though they gained quite a bit of Slytherins this year. This seemed to please Severus as he looked at the now overflowing Slytherin table. Not as many as Gryffindor had, but the turnout was still successful. Before they all began to eat, Dumbledore stood up and gave his usual speech. That is until he mentioned Rowan. "As many of you know, Rowan Knight was a student with us last year but she has recently joined our staff team as an assistant potions professor, I would like you all to treat her just as you would any of your other professors...I'm looking at you Zabini," He began, making Blaise jokingly hold up his hands in defeat. "I would also like to welcome our back Gilderoy Lockhart who is here to write a new novel on Hogwarts," Lockhart stood up and took a bow as hundreds of young girls whistled at him. "Lastly, I would like everyone to welcome our newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin!" Rowan joined in clapping as a man she hadn't noticed waved shyly. "That is all, now celebrate!" Dumbledore finished and the Great Hall erupted in conversations. 

"Severus, are you excited to have the children back?" Lockhart asked as he talked over Rowan. "Most certainly not," He answered, causing Rowan to chuckle. "They're all dunderheads with little to no respect for knowledge," Severus finished, taking a small bite of a dinner roll. "I don't remember being that much of an idiot," Rowan added with a playful frown. "I am certain you were a great student! Were you a Ravenclaw as I was?" Lockhart asked as he turned his full attention toward Rowan. "Heh- No. I am a Slytherin," Rowan said with an annoyed tone. "Ah, that explains your closeness toward our dear Professor Snape!" Lockhart offered and Rowan said nothing on the matter. When nobody had said anything else, Rowan looked over at her friends at the Slytherin table. Blaise winked at her and she rolled her eyes back at him. 

"Rowan, I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to Hogsmeade on a date?" Lockhart asked abruptly, causing both Severus and Rowan to choke on their respective drinks. "I- um. While I would love to- You see I have this-" Rowan was stumbling over her own words and saw no way out of it this time. She would be forced to accept his offer. 

"She is going to be busy helping me write lesson plans, Lockhart. She has no time for trivial things such as dates with you," Severus almost hissed the last word as his dark eyes shot a threatening look at Lockhart. "Oh, my apologies! I had no idea Rowan would be so busy! Another time then," Lockhart said as he stood up from the table and began to greet some of the new students at the Ravenclaw table. "Thank you, Severus," Rowan said with glee in her voice. 

"I couldn't sit there and watch you drown yourself, Miss Knight. Perhaps you should spend less time staring at Mr. Zabini and more time paying attention to people your age," He said with jealousy laced in his voice. Rowan was confused, so she just ignored him and continued to eat her food. 

The night ended with Rowan and Severus walking back down to the dungeons with the first-year students before silently retiring to their respective rooms. Rowan had a feeling classes would be...interesting...tomorrow. That was for sure. 

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

The next morning in the Great Hall, Both Severus and Lockhart were missing from his usual spot at the staff table. "Excuse me, Professor McGonagall, have you seen Professor Snape?" Rowan asked as she sat in between the two empty seats. "You can call me Minerva, dear. To answer your question, I saw them chatting near the corridor that leads to the courtyard earlier," McGonagall explained casually before returning to her eyes to watch over the students. "Oh no," Rowan whispered as she stood up and began to run out of the Great Hall. Her best friends, as well as Dumbledore, called out to ask questions, but she didn't stop. She knew that Lockhart's arrogance could press Severus' in the cruelest of ways, and she feared what he would do.

When she reached the pair, she wasn't surprised to find them locked in a duel with one another. Lockhart was throwing spell after spell at Severus, who was using defensive spells to stop them from hitting him. "What the hell are you doing?" Rowan yelled, causing Severus to lose his concentration. Severus turned to Rowan but before he could speak, Lockhart threw another spell his way. "Stupefy!" Lockhart yelled out strongly and Severus was flung backward and had been knocked unconscious. 

"Severus!" Rowan exclaimed as she ran over to his body and pulled it up onto her own. "Rowan, I didn't mean-" Lockhart began but Rowan immediately cut him off. "You didn't mean to use that spell or you didn't mean to get caught?" She said, standing up and drawing her wand. "You're nothing but a filthy rat, Lockhart!" Rowan exclaimed as she silently cast the expelliarmus, knocking his wand to the ground. "Professor Knight, you really must understand that this wasn't my fault!" Lockhart said, angering Rowan even more. She put her wand to his throat before she let him continue to speak. "I was simply asking him to allow you to travel with me to Hogsmeade and he said that he wouldn't allow it. Push came to shove and we got into a duel and-"

"You slug! You knocked him unconscious because you wanted to take me on a date? How daft are you, Gilderoy?" Rowan said as she pushed him away from her. Lockhart stumbled until a wall caught his fall. "There is no way I would ever go out with you. Do you understand that? Would you like me to write it down in your autobiography that you thought would be a good gift? You loathsome-"

"Rowan..." The sound of his voice sounded as if the heavens had opened up. Rowan spun around and ran to Severus' side. "Severus, are you alright?" 

"He will be fine, Ro-"

"Another word, Lockhart, and I will hex you into Azkaban where you belong!" She snapped before returning her gaze to Severus. "I will be fine, Professor Knight. Will you help me get to my classroom?" Severus asked groggily. Throwing looks like daggers at Lockhart, Rowan helped to stabilize the professor as they walked down to the dungeons. "I'm sorry I distracted you, Severus. I was hoping to startle Lockhart instead," Rowan apologized with shame in her voice. "There is no need to apologize. I was simply trying to defend your honor," He admitted as they reached the potions classroom. 

"Severus you didn't-" Just as Rowan was about to settle things once and for all, Blaise Zabini burst through the door. "Rowan did you really call Lockhart a rat- Oh. Hello, Professor Snape," Blaise said while rubbing the back of his neck. "Take a seat, Mr. Zabini. You are in my first class, correct?" Severus said and Blaise did nothing but nod and take a seat. "10 points to Slytherin for being early," Rowan said with an apologetic smile. 

Not too long after, the rest of the students arrived and Rowan sat down behind Severus' desk so that he could take the majority of the student's attention. After all, she was just his assistant. Severus was beginning to give the speech he gave every year to the students. Rowan had basically memorized his speech so she again let her mind wander. She hadn't expected her mind to end up with imagines of Severus bending her over her old desk and slamming into her. She pressed her legs together as images all similar to the one before flashed in her head. 

"Professor Knight," Severus said with gritted teeth. Rowan immediately snapped out of her daydreaming and stood up, joining him in front of the class. "Why don't you ask the students what they would need for amortentia. We will be teaching that after the draught of living death," He said as he went and sat down behind his desk, leaving Rowan standing alone with all eyes on her. I thought we learned about amortentia in February... Rowan thought to herself but shook it off. "Okay, does anyone know the answer?" She asked, looking back at Severus who was shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Many students raised their hand, which pleased Rowan, but Severus was preoccupied with his own thoughts. 

He had decided that he would look into her mind once more, and once only. He was surprised and fascinated by what he had found. He knew that she had cared for him in some way after she had threatened Lockhart. He hadn't heard all of the confrontation between Rowan and Lockhart, but he had learned from the Zabini boy that she had called the former professor a rat. He hadn't expected at all that he would find images of himself and his assistant entangled all over his potions classroom. He had to quickly think of a way to get behind his desk before his students saw his pants tightening. He had to find out if she really thought that way about him, so he decided to push the amortentia lesson up. Surely, she couldn't have feelings for him. Perhaps her mind had wandered to places she hadn't meant, or to places that disgusted her. That would be the only explanation. 

Soon, their classes for the day were over and Rowan hadn't stopped thinking about Severus. He hadn't had enough control to stop himself from indulging in her mind. Severus was able to stand up again by the end of the day. He hadn't been able to give his speech, but he figured that he could always do it the next day. He had to let her know that he had seen what she was thinking about, but how? 

Rowan was straightening up the classroom, using a cleaning spell to make sure it was prepared for the next day when Severus started to walk toward her. At first, she thought nothing of it. That was until he grabbed her by the waist and spun her around. "Sev-" She began but Severus placed his thumb against her mouth. "You needn't let your mind wander to such places, Rowan," He said as he swiped his thumb across her plump lips. Their eyes met and Rowan couldn't believe that this was happening. She had to be dreaming. "This is no dream, Miss Knight," Severus said as he started to lean in closer to her face. Confusion spread onto her face but before anything could happen, the potions professor sped out of the classroom. Rowan stood there, her fingers against her tingling lips. 

Realization spread on her face as she remembered that Severus was well trained in the art of Legilimency. With a sigh, she leaned against the desk behind her. She had to go and see Millicent and Juniper. They would know what to do.


	6. Chapter 5 - Late Nights

"He did what?" Millicent exclaimed loudly. "Keep it down!" Rowan quickly hushed her friends as she unlocked the door to her office. She knew that Millicent would be too loud to have this conversation in the Slytherin common room. Juniper had stayed quiet but had a large smile plastered on her growing face. "Come in, hurry," Rowan motioned as she relocked her office door and lead the pair to her living quarters.

"Two things. One, your room is super awesome!" Juniper squealed as she ran over and sat down on Rowan's velvet green couch. "Secondly, why didn't you tell us about your crush?" Juniper asked and Millicent flopped down beside her. Rowan sighed at her choice of words. "I didn't even mean for Blaise to know! He just-"

"Blaise knew?! Rowan, what the hell?" Millicent burst out but she didn't seem to actually be offended, more surprised. "Will you two just listen?" Rowan snapped and they both nodded in response. "He read my mind. I was thinking about, you know. I had completely forgotten about his powers in legilimency and so he confronted me about it," Rowan brought her hands up and pinched the bridge of her nose at her idiocy. "Well, there is a yule ball after our winter break. You could always ask him to go with you," Juniper said as she grabbed Millicent's hand and brought them both to their feet. "You could dance the night away with him and confess your undying love!" She exclaimed as she forced Millicent, who looked way too awkward, to dance with her.

"As if, Juni. Could you imagine the dungeon bat dancing?" Millicent said as she started to loosen up and twirl Juniper in a circle. "Guys, come on. He isn't a dungeon bat," Rowan rolled her eyes and with the flick of her wand, classical music erupted throughout the room. Rowan jokingly grabbed a broom and danced into her office. The dancing pair followed her and soon, her office was nothing but loud giggles. Rowan was about to dip her broom down as she heard a loud knock on her door. She quickly silenced the music and ran over to her door, shushing her giggling friends.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : - ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ - : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Severus' head was clouded from the moment he left his classroom to now, hours later. He hadn't bothered to show up to dinner, and from what he had heard, neither had Rowan. Severus had tried everything he could think of to get her out of his head. A cold shower, reading one of his many books, he even tried to find Lockhart and apologize. The last option he gave up on when he couldn't find Lockhart near the dungeons. He would have to talk to her, but what would he say?

Rowan, I find you incredibly attractive. Would you like to go with me to Hogsmeade? He thought but rolled his eyes almost immediately. He would be foolish than to ask the same question Lockhart had. Surely, she would say no just like she had to him.

Interrupting his thoughts, loud music began to play in the room next to him. He smiled inwardly at the thought of her dancing. Though, he quickly frowned at the thought of her dancing alone. He didn't know what he wanted, truly. He knew that if she were his, she would never have to dance alone. He also knew that he was cold and cruel to her. He had left her there, confused and alone in his potions classroom.

He had wanted to kiss her, then. To take her right then and there and fulfill her darkest fantasies. If he had done that, the relationship they had would simply be based on physical attraction. That wasn't what he wanted, but then again, he didn't know what he wanted. He had tried to keep their relationship professional, but in his heart, he knew that would never last long. Even when she was just a student, he had felt a strong attraction to her. He would never admit it, though. Especially not to her.

When he heard more than just her voice through the walls, he decided that he would investigate what exactly was happening. He would figure out what to say to her whenever he got there, though he had a general idea. Perhaps he would ask her if she wanted to go and grab something from the Great Hall. He knew both of them hadn't eaten yet and that would give them a chance to get to know each other. If Severus were going to admit his feeling, he wanted to do it the right way. Not the way things had started at all.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : - ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ - : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Much to her surprise, Rowan was met with the face of Severus Snape. "How can I help you, Professor?" Rowan asked innocently. Severus looked around her and saw Millicent and Juniper, who both waved innocently. "Shouldn't they be in their dorms?" Severus asked, more talking to them rather than Rowan. They immediately left the room, muttering goodnight, and rushed back to the Slytherin common room. "I'm sorry if we woke you, Severus. I didn't mean-"

Before Rowan could finish, Severus had welcomed himself into her office and took a seat against her cluttered desk. "I believe we should talk about what happened during our class today," Severus said, emotionless. Rowan wondered how he could be so nonchalant about it, perhaps it was just a one-time thing. Maybe he had regrets about what had happened and wanted to ask her to leave. She couldn't imagine what she would do if he had asked her to leave. She would be forced to leave her home and return to the Zabini's. She knew the manor would be chaos without Blaise there to calm his sisters. She would have to help-

"Miss Knight, calm your thoughts. I am not asking you to leave," Severus said, his eyes glued to the floor. Rowan relaxed as she took a seat beside him on her desk. "What would you like to discuss about it then?" Rowan asked, straightening her back against the edge of the desk. "Can we keep what happened between us?- Well, us and your friends that you have already told," Severus said cooly. Rowan's face dropped in disappointment. He did regret what had happened. "Oh, sure. I've only told Millicent and Juniper and they won't tell anyone," Rowan explained with pain in her voice.

"Did you attend dinner, this evening?" Severus asked, already knowing the answer. "I didn't, no," Rowan said with a small sigh. "Would you like to accompany me to the Great Hall? We could see if the house-elves have something left over," Severus offered and while Rowan wanted to deny his offer, she was far too hungry. "I would love to," She said with a forced smile. She felt awkward around him now knowing that he had regrets over what had happened. Still, they walked beside each other into the abandoned kitchen. It seemed as if everything had already been packed up and the elves had retired to bed.

"It appears we will have to wait until breakfast," Severus said. He turned around to leave the kitchen when Rowan grabbed his wrist. "Not happening, Severus. You've never snuck into the kitchen?" Rowan asked in disbelief. She couldn't remember the number of times she had caught the Weasley twins sneaking food out. "And you have?" Severus asked with a small smirk. Rowan rolled her eyes at his response. "Who hasn't? Come on," She said before he could protest. She sneakily slipped into the kitchen, leaving Severus no choice but to follow her.

"Okay, we have very few options. I'm guessing the twins have already been here tonight," Rowan said in a whisper. "They do this too?" Severus asked but Rowan only chuckled in response. "I found a few pumpkin pasties and some cauldron cakes. Do you want to split them?" Rowan asked and Severus hesitantly agreed.

Just then, they heard some rummaging around in the corner of the kitchen. "Rotten kids! Get out! Get!" A tired house-elf screamed. Rowan grabbed what she could, including Severus' arm, and ran as far as she could away from the kitchen. She burst out laughing when they found themselves outside in the courtyard. "I cannot believe that just happened," Rowan said between breaths. Severus had an annoyed look on his face, but his hunger overcame any anger he might have conjured up. He did have to admit, that was rather fun.

"Sit," Rowan said as she took a seat beside one of the many pillars. Severus did as he was told, cringing at the dirt his clothes would become covered in. "Here is your cauldron cake and some pumpkin pasties," Rowan said as she handed him his food. She had managed to grab an equal amount of both, which weirdly made her proud.

"Did you really call Lockhart a rat?" Severus asked as he thought back to what Zabini had said. Rowan chuckled nervously. "Yeah, it's not the best insult. In my defense, he did stupefy you," She said defensively as she took a bite of her cauldron cake. "What all occurred while I was unconscious?" Severus asked as he took a large bite of his food. "Well, I used a non-verbal spell and knocked his wand out of his hand. Held my wand against his throat, the usual," Rowan chuckled, remembering how mad she had been. If only she knew what would happen, perhaps she would have left when she saw what was happening. Severus only came to regret what had happened after she helped him to class.

"Thank you," Severus said as he took one last bite of his pumpkin pasties. "There's no need to thank me. Lockhart was way out of line," Rowan said with a sigh. They sat in silence for a bit as they finished their food and Rowan turned her attention to the stars.

"Do you ever wish you were out there? Far away from everyone else, I mean," Rowan asked as she laid down on her back. "In the stars?" Severus asked, confused at what brought up this conversation. "Yeah. Whenever I was younger, I would wish to be up there. Especially when my parents..." Rowan trailed off, shaking her head. She didn't want to open that part of herself up to him. She hated being vulnerable, so she kept her darkest secrets inside. "I have, right after she died," Severus said as he joined Rowan on his back.

"Lily Potter, you mean?" Rowan asked. It was no secret that Severus had loved Lily Potter, but she had chosen James. At least, it was no secret to her. She had heard murmurs amongst the golden trio when she would pass them in the hall. "Yes, but when I knew her she was Lily Evans," Severus corrected her. He had never liked James Potter, but Lily chose him. Severus had accepted that. "Do you still love her?" Rowan asked as she tried to distract her mind. Severus sighed and shook his head. "For a long time, I did. Not anymore," He answered and Rowan decided to leave that subject at that.

"My father used to tell me that only the best end up among the stars. He's still in America," Rowan said with sadness laced in her voice. "Why didn't he come here?" Severus asked, turning his head to look at Rowan who was staring at the stars. "That's a very complex story. I came here so that I could finish my education but whenever I was sorted into Slytherin, she promptly disowned me," Rowan laughed at how silly it all sounded.

"I've always wondered why you were a Slytherin. You've never shown any of the qualities of Slytherin," He said, causing Rowan to look at him. "I guess my ambition wouldn't be enough to earn me a spot, would it?" She said and they both chuckled. "I'm afraid not," He replied and she just shook her head. "My childhood was...questionable. I don't really want to talk about it," She said and they sat in silence for a while after that.

Severus reached out and grabbed her jaw, turning so that her eyes were meeting his. She gasped lightly as Severus closed his eyes and leaned his face toward hers. Instantly, the ground beside him felt colder, and when he had opened his eyes, she was running back inside. With a sigh, Severus sat up. He had been correct, she could never love somebody like him.


	7. Chapter 6 - Amortentia

"Have you seen Professor Knight, Severus?" Dumbledore asked as breakfast ended and everyone had started toward their classes. He hadn't seen her since last night, but that was none of the headmaster's business. "No, I haven't. Not since our classes last night," Severus lied as he remembered what all had happened yesterday. 

"I will watch over your first class, you go and check on her," Dumbledore said, but before Severus could decline, the headmaster was already on his way out. Severus had been trying not to think of Rowan. After their interaction in his classroom, Severus had been ready to finally accept that his feelings were more than just professional. After she had run away last night, Severus had seemed to conclude that she didn't actually want him. 

As he approached her office door, he heard her small and beautiful giggles. He quickly hid behind the wall and listened in on the conversation. A part of him knew it was wrong, but the other part of him knew that he was no stranger to doing what was wrong. 

"Thank you Zabini. I needed that talk," Rowan said as she engulfed her long time friend in a hug. "Anytime, Ro. I have to get to potions, think you could walk me?" Blaise asked and Severus assumed that Rowan had said yes because soon she had passed him without noticing his presence. So that is why she rejected me, Severus thought. Of course, she was in love with the young Zabini boy. They had always been close, Severus didn't know how he could have missed it. 

He walked into his classroom a few moments after Rowan so that it would not be suspicious. "Professor! I was just preparing the amortentia for today. I had been so busy getting it prepared I missed breakfast and-" Severus quickly interrupted her. He couldn't bear to look into her eyes knowing that, not only did she not love him, she loved another. "Silence, Miss Knight," Severus peered over the cauldron to see the perfect pearl liquid. He had taught her well, but that was not the point of today's lesson. 

"Can anyone tell me what exactly amortentia is?" Severus asked coldly, turning his back on his assistant. Unfortunately for Severus, only Blaise Zabini had his hand raised. The girl beside him, Millicent Bulstrode, looked pleased that her partner knew the answer. "Yes, Zabini?" Severus offered, trying not to let his feelings get in the way. "Amortentia is the strongest love potion in the wizarding world, although it doesn't create real love. It is supposed to smell like what attracts you most," Blaise explained with his chest puffed out in confidence. Severus visibly scowled at him but continued with his lesson. 

"Now, everyone get in a line in an orderly fashion. I will allow you all to describe what you smell," Severus said as he took his place beside the cauldron. He looked over to Rowan, who was looking rather disappointed. "You too, Professor Knight. It is only fair," Severus offered and Rowan quickly went to the back on the line.

After a few students had gone, it was Blaise Zabini's turn. "And you, Mr. Zabini. What is it that you smell?" Severus asked, almost on edge and in fear of his answer. "I smell flowers, something like sweet-peas. And old parchment, along with ink," Blaise said with a small smile. It was just as Severus had expected, that was exactly what he himself smelled. He knew that Blaise, too, was in love with Rowan. 

Severus eagerly waited, almost running out of time, until Rowan was at the front of the line. She took a whiff of the intoxicating liquid and her eyes widened. "And? What is it, Rowan?" Zabini asked from his desk, earning a glare from Professor Snape at the use of his informal language. "I smell, leather. Like from the binding of books and something kind of...bitter?" Rowan said, knowing that what she was smelling was the professor that stood next to her. 

The two looked into each other's eyes for the first time that day, and Severus noticed that she had dark circles under her eyes. He began to worry if she had been getting enough sleep. Looking away, he cleared his throat. "Class is dismissed. I expect a fourteen-inch paper on the risks of amortentia due this time next week," Severus said as he slid down behind his desk. He watched as Rowan went over to talk to Blaise, and anger panged against his heart.

Could she have been describing the Zabini boy? He hadn't ever sniffed his students, and he doubted that he would ever want to. He would simply ask Rowan after class who the scent reminded her of. "See you later, Professor," Zabini said with a wink before leaving the classroom. Severus jumped at his chance. 

"Rowan, may I ask who your amortentia reminded you of?" He blurted, internally cringing at how desperate he sounded. "Well, you never told us what yours smelled like," Rowan countered as she took a seat on the side of his desk. Severus' breath hitched as he saw her robes inch up her leg. "Mine smelled very similar to Mr. Zabini's. Though, I would say she smells more of freesia than a sweet pea plant," He admitted, looking up into her eyes. "You would never forgive me if I told you who my scent reminded me of," Rowan said vaguely as she turned her attention to the arriving students. 

"Rowa- Professor Knight," Severus corrected, but she shook her head at him as she took her stance at the front of the classroom. "Welcome!" She said with a bright smile that could make Severus melt. "Today, I have prepared for us amortentia. Now, can anyone tell me what amortentia is?" Rowan looked around and saw that nobody had raised their hand, which she had expected. This class happened to be younger than the ones before and hadn't reached that part of their studies. 

Severus was about to complain about their imbecilic behavior, but Rowan quickly spoke before him. "That is perfectly okay! We all need to start somewhere. Now, if you will take out your books and turn to page two-hundred and three. There you will find some information on this particular potion," 

Severus smiled at how kind she was. She didn't seem to care that they didn't know the answer to the question she asked, as long as they got the information she was teaching. Perhaps he could learn something from her after all. 

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Severus let Rowan take control over the lessons, which ended up being very beneficial for him. He was able to get caught up on grading. This would mean he would have free time for the first time in years. "I've cleaned up the last of it, Professor. I'll just get heading to the Great Hall," Rowan said but she soon felt a hand wrap gently around her wrist. 

"Rowan, who did your amortentia remind you of?" Severus asked as he let go of her wrist and took a step back. Rowan's eyes dropped down to her feet and she shook her head. "I can't, Severus. I can't keep doing this," Rowan said as she took a few steps away from him. "Please," Severus whispered, and Rowan looked up to meet his eyes. 

"It's you, Severus. It's been you since I first got here. I know you regret what happened yesterday, and that's why I didn't want to tell you," Rowan said and Severus stood with his jaw on the floor. His gaze fell to the floor in shock. Nothing was said, they stood in silence and tears slowly filled Rowan's eyes. "This is why," She said and ran out of their classroom. She was going to enter the great hall, but when her teary eyes met Juniper's, she knew that she wouldn't be able to hide her emotions. She rushed out into the courtyard, Juniper following close behind her. 

"Rowan! Wait up," Juniper called, but Rowan only ran faster. She needed to get away from Hogwarts. Away from him. "Rowan!" Juniper called out again, except this time, Rowan fell onto her knees. This allowed Juniper to catch up, and sit down beside her breaking friend. "Oh, Rowan," Juniper whispered as she watched her friend collapse in front of her. "Do you want me to go and get Millicent?" Juniper offered but Rowan only clutched onto her friend harder. She didn't trust herself to use her words. 

"Okay, we'll just stay here then," Juniper said as she rubbed her friend's arm. "Is it something with your family?" Juniper asked as she knew very well about some of Rowan's childhood. If anything, Juniper was one of the only people who Rowan had told some of what had occured. She hadn't even told her other friends. Rowan only shook her head, leaving Juniper guessing at what had happened. "Is it Snape?" She asked, this time with less confidence. Rowan nodded and cried harder into her own sleeve. Juniper tensed up in anger. "I will hex him, Rowan. Do you want me to hex him? I am so willing to get kissed by a dementor over this. Just give me the word and I will cru-" 

"Juniper," Rowan said weakly and Juniper apologized sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I'm getting carried away again, aren't I?" Juniper chuckled and soon, Rowan joined in weakly. "There's my Rowan. What happened?" Juniper asked as she turned to face her friend, who was starting to recover. "I told him that I smelled him in my amortentia, and he just stood there. I knew he didn't feel the same," Rowan explained, her tears threatening to start pouring again. She hated her friend seeing her like this, and she knew that crying over something so stupid was not normal for her. She didn't care, though. She couldn't help it anymore.

"Rowan, did he tell you what he smelled?" Juniper asked, trying her best to keep her calm. "He said it was similar to what Blaise smelled, but Blaise is attracted to every girl within twenty miles of here! How is that supposed to make it better?" Rowan exclaimed, sobbing quietly. Juniper took a deep breath and shook her head. "That man doesn't know what he is losing, Rowan. Come back to dinner. You can sit with us, like old times," Juniper offered and Rowan nodded weakly.

The pair entered the Great Hall, Rowan obviously still very upset. Her eyes were red and her face had become blotchy. Still, she walked as if nothing had happened and sat down in her old spot at the Slytherin table. This earned some odd looks, but everyone eventually went back to their dinner. 

"Woah. Rowan, what the hell happened?" Blaise asked, earning Millicent's attention as well. Juniper quickly explained the situation, as Rowan didn't trust herself to. "I will kill him, Rowan," Millicent said as she threw nasty looks up at the staff table. "No, there's no need. He simply wants to keep it professional and that is what I will do," 

Blaise looked up at the staff table and saw that Professor Snape was staring down regretfully at Rowan. Blaise recognized that look, and while he didn't want to, he sighed and nodded toward him. "That's not the look of a professional," Blaise knew that he loved Rowan, but he also knew that he could never love her as the potions professor did. Though, he would still try with everything within him; when the time was right. Rowan turned, tears still in her eyes, and met Severus'. He seemed to gasp at the sight of her. "I need to get out of here," Rowan mumbled and she stood up and ran out of the hall. Her three best friends, as well as the potions professor, all chased after her. 

Rowan had only stopped running when she reached her office. She quickly ushered her friends inside and locked the door behind her. When Severus had finally reached her, he knew that he was too late. With a sigh, he retired to his own quarters. She was so far away, surely he had scared her off now. 

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

With a slow stride, Severus reached the all too familiar fireplace that held the picture of Lily and himself. "If you were here, surely you would be yelling at me," He said as he picked up the photo and gently placed it into a trash bin on the other side of the room. "Goodbye, Lily. It's time,"

With that, Severus found himself back in the shower where he tried to get his mind off of things. He wished he had said something when Rowan had confessed it had been him that she had smelled in her amortentia. He had just been shocked that she had held this secret for so long. No matter how hard he tried, the image of her bloodshot eyes had been glued into his brain. He had never meant to hurt her. 

All this time, he had thought she had been the one who had been rejecting him. He hadn't stopped to think that it was he who had been rejecting her. The time he walked away when they had almost kissed, and when he asked her to stay quiet about it. He had been thinking about his reputation, not her feelings. He had been so selfish without even realizing it. How was he supposed to fix this? He didn't know if he could. 

The last time he had hurt someone had been when he called Lily a mudblood, something he never truly forgave himself for. It wasn't that blood status had mattered to him, it was just that he had been embarrassed. He was simply immature, and that was the only excuse he would ever have for how he reacted. 

He would make it different with Rowan, he just couldn't figure out what to do. He could apologize, but that wouldn't do much to mend her broken heart. Severus stepped out of his shower and dried off, before slipping into black sweatpants and a black t-shirt. 

With a loud sigh, he sat down on the edge of his bed. "What am I going to do?" He asked aloud, running his fingers through his wet hair. "Well, you can start by apologizing," A voice that spoke startled Severus, but when he turned around, he relaxed. "Albus, what have I told you about knocking?" He said in an irritated tone. 

"Severus, are you finally ready to talk about your feelings?" The old man asked as he took a seat on Severus' black leather-bound couch. "I don't-"

"Severus. We both know the truth, and it is okay to tell it. I will ask again, are you ready?" Dumbledore seemed to be getting impatient with his friend, but his voice hadn't seemed to hold any venom. Sighing, Severus nodded. "I am,"


	8. Chapter 7 - Fireworks

TW: Slight mention of assault

Rowan had fallen asleep against Millicent's strong shoulders. They had spent the night catching up in an attempt to get her mind off a certain potions professor. Though it had worked for the night, it didn't help her when she awoke. 

She looked out of her lone window and found that the moon was still out. She couldn't have slept for more than a few hours, and if she had to guess, it was around midnight. She looked around at her friends and saw that Juniper and Blaise were curled up together on her couch. She smiled at them, noting how cute of a couple they would make. She smiled and opened the door to her office. She would only take a small walk to clear her thoughts, then she would return to her quarters. 

She started to walk down the cold corridors, the cool wind of breeching autumn brushed against her skin as small kisses. She couldn't wait until the cold air had completely set in and she could travel to Hogsmeade with the students. 

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by footsteps. She turned around and saw nothing, so she decided that she would keep walking. It was probably just a student sneaking into the kitchens again. Though the more she walked, the closer the footsteps got. 

This time, when Rowan turned around, she was met with the face of Gilderoy Lockhart. "Gilderoy! You scared me," Rowan exclaimed, but as soon as she spoke she had wished she didn't. He smelled heavily of firewhiskey and didn't seem to be able to stabilize himself. "Rowan!! I was lookin' fer yooou," Lockhart slurred as he brought one of his hands up and poked Rowan on the tip of her nose. 

"I- How much have you drank tonight?" Rowan asked as she tried to take a few steps away from him. He only cornered her against the cold stone walls. "Lockhart, what are you doing?" Rowan asked nervously, looking around for a way to get away. She couldn't find one, and she had left her wand back in her room. "Come on, sweetheart! I know you haaad to defend Severus back when he had that little fight but he isn't here! We can be together," He said, leaning in and smashing his lips against Rowan's forcefully. She pushed him away and he stumbled back, a bottle of firewhiskey smashed to the floor. 

"Oh? Playing hard to get are we?" Lockhart slurred and looked at Rowan as if she was her prey. Before she could run, he had her trapped in between his arms once again. "Lockhart, no," Rowan said, shaking her head. "Hush, Severus isn't around," He hissed as he ripped her robes off of her. She gasped as the cold air hit her bare shoulders. She hadn't been wearing a shirt underneath her robes since she hadn't thought she would see anyone on her walk. 

"Prepared are we?" Lockhart said and smashed his lips down onto hers once more. Rowan pushed at him, but she wasn't strong enough to move him this time. "Help!" Rowan screamed, hoping that someone would come and save her. Lockhart slammed his hand down onto her mouth. "We don't want that, now do we?" He said as he reached around to unclasp her bra. Tears fell from Rowan's eyes as she feared what would happen next. She squirmed and tried to fight, but she hadn't gotten much rest and the firewhiskey seemed to be helping his strength. 

Lockhart got annoyed that in his inebriated state, he could not unclasp her bra. However, his agitation didn't last long before he moved on. He placed two fingers into the sides of her jeans that she had been wearing underneath her cloak. She shook her head wildly but he didn't seem to care. This was not the same Lockhart that has asked her on dates. This was a whole new version of him that scared Rowan. If he had done this to her, how many other girls had he taken advantage of?

Just as Lockhart was about to be successful in his mission, a tall figure came around the corner. She squirmed harder than he had been before, hoping the figure would come and help her. "What are you- Rowan? Lockhart? You little- Stupefy!" The figure yelled and Lockhart fell onto the ground unconscious. Rowan looked up and saw that it was none other than Severus Snape.

"Rowan, are you okay? I heard you yell from my quarters," Severus asked and Rowan collapsed into his arms. At first, Severus stood there, stiff. Soon, he had relaxed and held her close. He turned and saw that Lockhart was beginning to wake up. He took his cape off and wrapped it tightly around Rowan. He turned to Lockhart and rolled his sleeves up. 

"I always knew you were nothing more than a slimy git," He said and punched Lockhart square against his nose. Rowan could tell that he wouldn't be waking up from that any time soon. Rowan immediately felt guilty. She had never seen the potions professor in anything other than his usual robes, but he stood now in sweatpants and a plain t-shirt. She looked down at her robes, which has been torn in half. She knew she had two choices. Keep Severus' cloak or put back on her broken robes. 

"Sev-" Rowan started but Severus stopped her. "Rowan, please. I am so sorry," He said, taking her hands into his. Rowan's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her calm. "For what? You don't need to apologize for not liking me back," Rowan chuckled half-heartedly. "Not liking- Rowan, no. My amortentia reminded me of you," He said, taking both of his hands and placing them on the sides of her face. "I wanted to tell you, but I thought you hadn't returned my feelings. I was just shocked to find out that what you had smelled had matched with mine," Severus explained as he rubbed the tears away from her cheeks.

"So, you didn't regret what happened in your classroom?" Rowan asked in disbelief. "No, of course, I didn't regret it. I thought you had," Severus replied, a smile creeping onto his face. "Honestly, I thought you liked Blaise Zabini," he admitted, the thought seeming kind of silly now. "No, he and I are just friends," Rowan whispered, losing herself in his dark eyes. Severus searched her face for any sign of uncertainty, and when he found none, he leaned in. 

Their lips collided and molded together as if they had always been meant for each other. Fireworks exploded in Rowan's mind as the moment she had been waiting for had finally come to fruition. They moved like works of art, Severus' hand slowly sliding down to her neck. He pulled her into the kiss deeper, losing every worry he had ever had. 

Moments later, they both parted, out of breath. Severus leaned his forehead against hers and she cuddled into his touch. "It's late," She said as she tried to hide a small yawn. "That it is, Miss Knight," Severus said as he reached down and interlaced his hand in hers. "I'll walk you back to your quarters," He said and she nodded silently, picking up her shredded robes. "I'll return your cloak whenever we get to the dungeons," Rowan said as she pulled it closer around her and Severus only nodded. 

They had reached her door and when Severus reached to open it, Rowan caught his hand. "Hypothetically, how mad would you be if there were three students in there?" She said sheepishly. He gave her a disappointed look and shook his head. "Are there three students in there, Rowan?" Severus asked in a cold voice. Rowan nodded and took off his cloak. She held it out to him and covered herself with her hands. He took it hesitantly and shook his head. He was about to turn around when his eyes widened in realization. 

"Is Blaise Zabini in there?" He asked sternly and Rowan nodded, confused. He quickly removed his shirt and gave it to her. Her eyes widened at the sight of his body. At first, she had only noticed how firm his chest was but slowly, she started to notice all types of scars on his body. He pulled his cloak over him in an attempt to hide them, before explaining himself. "I don't want him to see you like that," He said, his eyes darkening. He placed his hand against the side of her throat and leaned in, giving her a small, lingering peck.

Rowan blushed and slipped on Severus' shirt. It smelled heavily of him and the scent intoxicated Rowan. "I will see you tomorrow in the Great Hall, Professor Knight," Severus said with a small smile. "I'll see you then," She said and they each retired to their respective rooms. Rowan was exhausted from the night's events, so she slipped under the covers of her bed, careful not to wake Millicent. With a deep breath, sleep consumed her. 

Severus, however, was far too angry to go to sleep. Not at what had happened between him and Rowan, but rather at how Lockhart had acted. He was angry at himself for not arriving sooner, but also that Lockhart dared to lay a hand on what was his. He had warned the moronic man before that Rowan was his assistant, though Lockhart hadn't seemed to have gotten the idea. Severus would find a way to make him pay. Leaving him with a broken nose on the cold ground of Hogwarts wasn't enough. 

Severus slipped out of his cape and looked at his body in the mirror. He had seen the way she had looked at him, and he knew that if he wanted their relationship to continue any further, he would one day have to explain. There would be a time for that, but that time was not now. Their relationship was far too complicated, for he didn't know what they would become. For now, they were co-workers who had shared a kiss. He could only hope that one day they would become more.


End file.
